Bursitis

Bursitis

What exactly is bursitis?

Your body has bones to give it stability. This is your skeleton. To ensure that you can move your body, there are joints in various places in the skeleton. Think for example of your elbow, your shoulder or your knee. A joint consists of two bones that come together. The ends of these bones are covered with a layer of cartilage. To keep the bones together, there are strong ligaments around a joint. Tendons connect muscles to bones near joints. There is often a cushion with ''oil'' between a tendon and the bone to reduce friction. This is the bursa. You have bursitis when a bursa is irritated and inflamed. Men and women have an equal chance of getting bursitis. If you are over 30 years old, you are more likely to get bursitis. Preferred places are for example the shoulder, front of the knee, back of the elbow and the hip, where you lie on. High Energy ShockWave plays an important role in solving CHRONIC bursitis..! We are happy to help you!

Causes of bursitis

You can get bursitis for several reasons.


  • Due to an accident: A fall or a blow to your shoulder, for example, can cause the bursa to become irritated and inflamed.
  • An inflammation: If a joint is inflamed, this inflammation can spread to the bursa. This is often seen with gout. If the bursa itself is damaged, such as by an accident, a bacterium in the bursa can cause an additional infection.
  • Overuse: Repeating certain movements too often can cause bursitis. You also see this together with RSI. Another form is the "student elbow", by leaning too much on the elbow the bursa can become inflamed.

 

In some professions and sports, you see certain forms of bursitis more often: in runners: bursitis of the Achilles tendon. This is often accompanied by tendonitis. Bursitis in the hip is also a common runner's injury. In pavers and carpet layers, you see the so-called 'Patersknie'. This is an inflammation of the bursa in front of the knee. Carpenters and bricklayers are more likely to get bursitis of the elbow.

Symptoms of bursitis

If your bursa becomes inflamed, it produces extra fluid. This causes the bursa to swell. The joint becomes painful and stiff as a result. You can also move the joint less well. Your skin may become red and feel warm at the spot where the inflamed bursa is located. Swelling may also occur at that spot. Bursitis of the shoulder The shoulder joint consists of the head of the upper arm and the shoulder blade. Just above the shoulder joint is a bony protrusion, the acromion. Below the acromion is the subacromial bursa, but also the Supra Spinatus Tendon [SSP]. A bursa is designed to reduce the friction between the moving tissue layers. A bursa is often located at a spot where the tissue rubs against a bony protrusion. When someone presents to the GP, it is often said for convenience: you have bursitis. However, ultrasound examination shows that it is relatively uncommon and usually involves tendonitis of the Supra Spinatus Tendon [SSP], which is usually caused by calcifications in the tendon. These occur after repeated micro-traumas due to overload. Bursitis in the shoulder is often accompanied by calcifications due to the same degree of overload. These calcifications can be treated well with our High Energy Focused ESWT ShockWave because it has been proven that only that type goes deep enough to reach the calcifications and remove them. (Shoulder calcifications) However, if it is purely a matter of bursitis, the order of resolution is: try medication for 2 weeks [IbuProfen, Diclofenac, Naproxen or similar], and if that does not help, a targeted injection by the orthopedist under ultrasound guidance.

Symptoms of shoulder bursitis

People with subacromial bursitis experience pain at the top, front, back and outside of the shoulder. This pain can also radiate to the elbow. In less severe cases, people only experience stiffness and mild pain in the shoulder that increases during rest after an activity. Activities that cause pain include: lifting, pushing, excessive lying (lying on your side, awake from the pain), overhead activities, rotating the shoulder, etc. The pattern of complaints can change when the injury has been present for a longer period of time. The pain becomes sharper or additional complaints occur during sports or activities. The pain also increases when pressure is applied to the bursa. In some cases, people experience weakness of the shoulder and a 'painful arc' when lifting the arm. Hip bursitis People who suffer from hip bursitis experience pain on the outside of the hip. The complaints change as the injury has been present for a longer period of time. In general, people recover well from this condition. Early ShockWave treatment of this condition can accelerate and promote the recovery process!What is hip bursitis?Hip bursitis (trochanteric bursitis) is a condition in which damage and inflammation of the bursa occurs at the hip. The bursa is a small sac filled with fluid. This sac is located on the outside of the hip and can cause pain in the hip region.The gluteal muscles ensure the movement of the hip and the stabilization of the pelvis. These muscles are mainly active during walking, running, jumping, climbing stairs, squatting and lunging. When the gluteal muscles are tensed, the trochanteric bursa (bursa) comes under tension. Direct pressure on the bursa can also cause friction of the trochanteric bursa. When this pressure and/or tension is excessive, due to too many repetitions or too much force, irritation and inflammation of the bursa (bursa) can occur. This condition is called bursitis trochanterica.Anatomy of the hipThe upper leg bone (femur) ends in a bony knob, called the greater trochanter. This head is easily palpable on the side of the hip. Several gluteal muscles attach to this head. These gluteal muscles run from the pelvis to the upper leg bone and cover the head (greater trochanter). Between the gluteal muscles and this knob is a bursa: the bursa trochanterica. A bursa is designed to reduce friction between the moving tissue layers. A bursa is often located at a place where the tissue rubs against a bony prominence.

Causes of hip bursitis?

Hip bursitis is usually caused by repetitive or prolonged activities that put strain on the trochanteric bursa. This pain is usually felt during prolonged lying down (on your side, mainly on a hard surface, such as a thin mattress in a caravan or trailer tent!), walking (mainly uphill or on an uneven surface), jumping, squatting and lunging. These activities affect the trochanteric bursitis via the gluteal muscles or via direct pressure/impact on the bursa. In some cases, this injury can occur acutely, for example after a flight of stairs or a fall on the hip.


What factors can contribute to the development of this injury?

There are several factors that predispose individuals to developing this condition. These factors are determined and corrected by the physiotherapist. Some of these factors include:


 

  • Joint stiffness (mainly around the hip)
  • Shortened muscles (mainly the gluteal muscles)
  • Too much or incorrect tax
  • Muscle weakness (mainly the hamstrings and glutes)
  • Inadequate warming-up
  • Poor biomechanics (leg length discrepancy, position of the feet, etc.)
  • Inadequate rehabilitation after a previous buttock and/or hip injury
  • Poor pelvic or core stability

 


What are the symptoms?

People with trochanteric bursitis experience pain on the outside of the hip. This pain may also radiate down the outside of the thigh to the knee. In less severe cases, people only experience stiffness and mild pain in the hip that increases during rest after activity. Activities that cause pain include excessive lying down (on your side), running, jumping, excessive walking, sitting with the legs crossed, and getting in and out of a car. The pain associated with trochanteric bursitis warms up with activity in the early stages of the injury.


When the injury has been present for a longer period of time, the pattern of complaints can change. The pain becomes sharper or additional complaints occur during sports or activities. The pain complaints also increase when pressure is put on the hip bursa. In some cases, one experiences weakness of the leg. This weakness mainly occurs when one walks up the stairs, performs a squat or when one tries to accelerate while running.


How is the diagnosis made?

Usually the anamnesis (previous history) in combination with a clinical examination by the physiotherapist, supplemented with echo diagnostics, is sufficient to arrive at the diagnosis 'bursitis'. Further examination, such as an: MRI scan, CT scan, RX scan are sometimes still necessary to confirm the diagnosis.


Shockwave for hip bursitis

A relatively new and very effective treatment method is our High Energy ESWT Shockwave therapy, the ideal solution for conditions such as hip bursitis. The therapy is relatively painless, affordable and effective. Many have gone before you and gotten rid of their bursitis.


Make an appointment?

Want to know more? Feel free to contact us for an Intake and Echo. We will be happy to tell you everything you want and need to know about our Shockwave therapy.

Share by: